Years back, and had placed me in the delightful Regions of Theffaly

I know the fympathifing

I dare fay the Reader will not be difpleafed to `have ÆLIAN'S Defcription of ancient TEMPE, which the Author mentions above, laid before him, in the elegant Tranflation of that ingenious Gentlemen, who favoured the Public a few Years ago with an English Commentary and Notes on HORACE's Epiftle to Auguftus, and a Difcourfe on Poetical Imitation. "The Theffalian TEMPE is a Place, "fituate between Olympus and Offa; which are Moun"tains of an exceeding great Height; and look, as if "they had once been joined, but were afterwards fe66 parated from each other, by fome God, for the fake of

Opening in the midst that large Plain, which ftretches "in Length to about five Miles, and in Breadth, a hun"dred Paces, or, in fome Parts more. Thro' the middle "of this Plain runs the Peneus, into which feveral leffer "Currents empty themselves, and by the Confluence of "their Waters, fwell into a River of great Size. This "Vale is abundantly furnished with all manner of Arbors "and refting Places; not fuch as the Arts of human In"dustry contrive, but with the Bounty of fpontaneous "Nature; ambitious, as it were, to make a Shew of all "her Beauties, provided for the Supply of this fair Refi"dence, in the very original Structure and Formation of "the Place. For there is plenty of Ivy fhooting forth in "it, which flourishes and grows fo thick, that, like the

generous and leafy Vine, it crawls up the Trunks of "tall Trees, and twisting it's Foliage round their Arms "and Branches, becomes almost incorporated with them. "The flowering Smilax alfo is there in great Abun"dance; which running up the Acclivities of the Hills, "and fpreading the clofe Texture of it's Leaves and Ten"drils on all Sides, perfectly covers and shades them; fo "that no Part of the bare Rock is feen; but the whole is

66

hung with the Verdure of a thick, interwoven Herb"age, prefenting the moft agreeable Spectacle to the "Eye. Along the level of the Plain, there are fre

“quent

fympathizing Warmth of your Imagination, therefore shall leave you to fancy the reft for me. However fuch were my Expreffions of Pleafure upon the Occafion, that feveral of our Company, who had not an Unifon of Soul, began to regard my Enthufiafm with a cool air of Derifion. The next Day's Journey however afforded me an Opportunity of making Reprifals, and to pity many of our Party for the joyful Astonishment with which they were ftruck by the aukward Magnificence of unmeaning Grandeur.

quent Tufts of Trees and long continued Ranges "of arching Bowers, affording the most grateful Shel

ter from the Heats of Summer; which are fur"ther relieved by the frequent Streams of clear and "fresh Water, continually winding through it. The "Tradition goes that thefe Waters are peculiarly good for

Bathing, and have many other Medicinal Virtues. In "the Thickets and Bufhes of this Dale, are numberless

Singing Birds every where fluttering about, whose "Warblings take the Ear of Paffengers, and cheat the "Labours of their Way through it. On the Banks of "the Peneus, on either Side, are difperfed irregularly, "thofe refting Places, before fpoken of; while the River "itself glides through the middle of the Lawn, with a "foft and quiet courfe; overhung with the Shades of "Trees, planted on it's Borders, whofe intermingled "Branches keep off the Sun, and furnish the Opportu"nity of a cool and temperate Navigation upon it. The "Worship of the Gods, and the perpetual Fragrancy of "Sacrifices and burning Odors, further confecrate the "Place," &c. [Var. Hift. lib. iii. cap. 1.]

You know the MANY among Mankind are affected only by prodigious Actions and Deeds of HEROISM in the Moral World, and, according to my Observation, have confequently a correfpondent Relish for the Great and Wonderful in the Phyfical; ALEXANDER, CÆSar, and PYRRHUS are their adored Images in the one; and Caftles, Maufoleums, Pyramids, Mountains, immenfe Plains, and Cataracts in the other. How natural then was it for thofe who could pafs over the Paradife of our English TEMPE without Emotion, to gape their filent Wonder at H--Cafle! I defire you would minutely obferve, the next time you take a mixed Company into your elegant Collection of Pictures, and read their Characters by the choice of their Pieces. The Revengeful will find great Excellence in your APOLLO fleaing the unfortunate MARSYAS; the Man, who is fubject to be difcompofed by violent Paffions, will select out one of Vandervelt's Storms to amuse himself with; and the Eyes of those who are ennobled by filial Piety and the delightful Sympathy of Pity, will drop a

Tear

Tear of Pleasure over your Roman Charity. If the Weather will permit I pròpofe to be with you at next Month, but wherever I am, you will always be present with me. Adieu, my dear EuPHEMIUS, and do me the Juftice to think, I am,

Your moft fincere Friend, &c.

C 2

LET

3

I

LETTER IV.

To the SAME.

NDEED, EUPHEMIUS, the Compliments you are pleased to pay me upon the Obfervations I made in my laft Letter to you concerning Analogy, would not fail to enflame my Vanity, did not I very well know that you view every thing, which comes from me, through the magnifying Medium of Friendship. This Reflection, it is true, leffens the Satisfaction which would flow from a Consciousness of Merit, but at the fame time augments my Happiness another Way, by informing my Heart how deep an Interest I have in yours. You tell me that upon Recollection, you know of no living Artift whofe Life does not greatly correfpond to his Performances; and that you have read of very few of the Dead, whose Works do not shadow forth, by this Analogy, the general Caft of their Moral Conduct *.

HOMER, we are told by

*VOLTAIRE has the following remarkable Paffage concerning the Character and Writings of the Cardinal De

the